Hawaii County firefighters prevented a house fire in Puna from spreading upstairs to the second story this morning.

The fire department estimated the fire caused $40,000 in damage to the two-story house, valued at a total of $300,000 in the Paradise Park subdivision.

The fire department said the blaze began in the bottom floor workshop and garage. The first unit on scene found the area engulfed in smoke and flames, and extending into an interior stairwell.

The house is built of wood upstairs and hollow tile with concrete flooring downstairs, the fire department said.

The incoming units managed to suppress the fire before it spread upstairs, although there was some smoke damage to the upper living area. Fire had traveled into the carport attic, but was quickly put out.

No one was home at the time of the blaze.

The fire department had a total of 17 firefighters responding to the blaze that was reported at 9:05 a.m. and was under control by 9:22 a.m. The fire was extinguished at 9:26 a.m.